Opened in July 2004, the Falkirk Stadium as it was named, originally comprised just one stand, but since then two further stands have been built. The West Stand at one side of the pitch is a huge cantilever affair, that houses 4,200 supporters. It looks spectacular both close up and from a distance. In terms of design it is probably one of the best new stands constructed in Britain for some years. It is two tiered, with a large lower tier and a small upper tier with comparatively small windshields to either side. At one end is the North Stand, which was opened in March 2005. It is a covered all seated stand that has a capacity of 2,000. Opposite opened in 2009 is the near identical looking South Stand that also has a capacity of 2,000. The East Side of the stadium is open and unused for spectators, which rather detracts from the overall appearance of the ground. During 2013 the grass pitch was replaced by an artificial 3G surface.

Falkirk left their old Brockville Ground in 2003, which had been their home since 1876. Kevin Dunn adds; 'The Brockville Ground has been demolished and been replaced with a Morrisons superstore. Morrisons have not forgot the history of the location, and have some rather impressive stained windows with views of Falkirk FC's past'.

The Club have received planning permission to construct a new stand on the East side of the stadium. The planned capacity of this is 2,000. However the Club have yet to announce as to when construction is likely to commence.

Originally when the stadium was built it was envisaged that a much larger stand would be built on this side of the ground, raising the overall capacity to around 15,000. However the local authority re-zoned the whole area around the Grangemouth Petro-Chemical works and unfortunately this meant that the stadium fell within the disaster area of the works and so the capacity has been restricted to 10,000.

Away fans are housed in the North Stand at one end of the stadium, where up to 2,000 fans can be accommodated. David Burns a visiting Celtic fan adds; 'There were good views of the action and we were close to the pitch. The leg room was excellent, even for a tall guy like me. There was also plenty of height between rows. The concourse was quite small though and I was surprised to find that the toilets had no roof on them. Overall a good day out'.

Entrance to the stadium is gained via electronic turnstiles, which means that fans have to insert their ticket, which has a bar code printed onto it, into an electronic reader to gain entrance. I believe that this was the first of its kind to be installed at a Scottish football ground.

Being on the outskirts of Falkirk there is not much in the way of choice of places to drink. Neil Stewart informs me; 'The nearest pub is the Mill Inn on Thornhill Road, which is around a five minute walk way, going towards the town centre. There is also the Tam Bain in Mary Street, Laurieston, which is around 10 minutes north of the stadium'. Kevin Dunn adds; 'There is a bar called Pennies at the old ice rink, just off the Grangemouth Road. Go up Grangemouth Rd towards the town centre and you will pass the college and the old ice rink (which is now an indoor football centre) on the left hand side. The pub is just down the right hand side of the old ice rink, near to the Saturday market'.

Otherwise it is probably best to drink somewhere on the way beforehand or else take the 20-25 minute walk into Falkirk town centre where there are plenty of bars to be found. Lindsey Coombs adds; 'I would recommend the 'Behind the Wall' bar in the town centre, for a drink before the game. It has won supporters awards in the past and is located in the centre of Falkirk, close to Grahamston station. Also in the town centre on Bank Street is a Wetherspoons pub called the Carron Works.

From The East
Leave the M9 at Junction 5 and take the A9 towards Falkirk. After about a mile you will be able to see the stadium over on your right.

From The West
Leave the M9 at Junction 6 and take the A904 towards Falkirk. You will reach the stadium on your left.

Car Parking
Although the main car park at the stadium is for permit holders only, there is another provided for away fans as Stuart Laing informs me; 'The away fans car park costs £4 to park in, its entrance is on the Grangemouth Road'. Alternatively there is car parking available at Falkirk College which is a short distance along the A904 towards Falkirk. Otherwise street parking.

Falkirk Grahamston Railway Station is about a mile away from the Falkirk Stadium. It is a fairly straight 20 minute walk down the A904 Grangemouth Road. As you come out of the station turn left and follow the ring road round (A803) to the right. Turn left into Weir Street and at the bottom of the street turn left onto Kerse Lane. This is the A904 which leads into Ladysmill and then becomes Grangemouth Road. Go straight down this road and you will eventually reach the stadium over on your right.

Otherwise any buses that are Grangemouth bound going from Falkirk should also pass the stadium.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:

If you require hotel accommodation in Falkirk or Edinburgh then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will help towards the running costs of keeping this Guide going.

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Falkirk Stadium?

This is the second time that I have been to the town of Falkirk to attend a match, the first time the venue was changed to Clyde's ground due to a Tom Jones concert, so this was a new stadium visit. However, I had not really intended going to Falkirk! My intended venue was Berwick Rangers and I had booked a Bed & Breakfast in that town. Luckily I had spotted in advance that the match was postponed due to Berwick's opponents Stirling Albion being involved in a Scottish Cup match on the same day, and therefore I chose an alternative game which was Falkirk.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I travelled by train from Berwick, arriving in Falkirk at 12 noon, and had a meal at the New Market Inn which is similar to a Wetherspoons but with a different menu of course. The walk out of town to the Falkirk Stadium was straightforward.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Once at the Falkirk Stadium I bought my ticket from the club shop with no problem as I was early. I had a walk around the outside of the three impressive stands before waiting for the turnstiles to open at 2pm. No bag searches which was refreshing for a change at this level of football. All seemed friendly.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Falkirk Stadium?

I had seen the ground from a distance some time ago and now there are three similar type of stands that look good. If only a large stand could be build down the open side it would be much better. I was in the second row of the top tier of the Main Stand. I was disappointed to find that my view was obstructed by the substantial metal guard rails along the front walkway, and the advertising hoardings that were attached to it completely cut out the nearest touchline. I was in the second row, so the front row would be even worse. I assume that the designer of the stand worked out the sightlines assuming that the view through the metal framed guard rails would be kept clear. My tip for anyone buying a ticket in the top tier of the Main Stand is to ask not to be in the front four rows.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

St Mirren started very well with a quick goal and they were on top for most of the first half. There downfall happened towards the end of the first half when a St Mirren player was sent off for violent conduct towards a Falkirk player who was lying on the ground. It appeared to be a clear 'right hook' on the Falkirk player. Two minutes into the second half and the score was even. Falkirk then took advantage of the extra man and added a second before finishing it off just before the end to make it 3-1. The sending off probably changed who would go on to win the match.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

I left a few minutes early after the third Falkirk goal to ensure that I could be back at the railway station in time for the 17.24 to Edinburgh. The walk took me 25 minutes at a fast pace. Just outside the ground there is a busy road (the A9) which was difficult to cross. I couldn't see any pedestrian crossing which is a big negative.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

A good day out and another Scottish ground ticket off my list. Only 17 in Scotland's four top leagues still to go to!